A Blast from Boston’s Past

Award-winning author and screenwriter Gary Goldstein is celebrating the release of his third novel, Please Come to Boston, on September 10, 2024. The highly-anticipated follow up to Goldstein’s second novel, The Mother I Never Had, is set in 1975 and follows Nicky DeMarco who, in his first year of college at Boston University, finds himself in a surprising love triangle with fellow coeds, Joe and Lori. The story, which flashes forward to a climactic reunion between Nicky and Joe fifty years in the future, is an evocative look at young love, sexuality, and all of the intricacies and complications that result from choosing to live a life of authenticity—or not. 

Goldstein chatted with OutSmart about his novel, which explores how it feels to experience real freedom for the first time and what it was like to explore one’s sexuality in the past versus today.

OSM: What inspired you to write this novel?

Goldstein: In trying to decide the next novel I wanted to write, I realized that, for all the scripts and plays and books I’ve written, I’ve never set a story at a college for more than maybe a few scenes, never made it the focus. My time in college was not only enjoyable, freeing and inspiring but it also set me on a pretty clear path for my future—both emotionally and professionally. 

So, I thought, what’s a great place to set a story where a character can have a fairly quick and distinct life-changing arc? Where someone can be so deeply affected by those around him yet also affect others in return? College! Not to mention that, despite all the years that have passed since I went to Boston University (where the book takes place), I remember so much of that time so vividly that I had kind of a running start in visualizing and laying out the story.

OSM: Were the characters or plot based on, or inspired by, any real-life personal experiences or people in your life? 

Goldstein: The first question most people ask who’ve read the book so far—or even read about it—is, “Are you Nicky?” the main character. Well, sorry to disappoint, but he’s not me, nor did I have quite the same experiences he had as a freshman at B.U. Some, sure, but not all. Though we’re both from the same part of New York, Nicky and I are very different types of people. He’s definitely more intrepid than I was back then. But he is kind of a “what if?” version of me, as in, “What if I’d had the opportunities he’s presented with—and went for them the way he does? Then what?” It was lots of fun to imagine.

As for all the supporting characters, they’re also largely fictional creations. But I did borrow some traits and quirks from folks I knew both at B.U. and later in life. Joe, though, is probably the most originally drawn character; I don’t think I’ve ever known any guy quite like him. I’m hoping readers will fall for him the way Nicky does. 

OSM: Are there any pieces of media or literature that served as inspirations for this novel? 

Goldstein: Not specifically, though there’s a film from 1977 called First Love, a campus romance with William Katt and Susan Dey, that I’ve always loved. It’s a more full-on drama than Please Come to Boston, but has some of the same character dynamics and bittersweet emotions as in my book. There are also probably a few thematic similarities between Boston and Red, White & Royal Blue, Call Me by Your Name and even a bit of Fellow Travelers, to name some other favorites.

OSM: What was the experience like writing a story that transcends several decades and specifically going back to the culture of the 70s? 

Goldstein: It was a blast—like jumping into the best time machine. It was such an evocative period—the music, movies, clothes, attitudes, all of it—that it was great to dip back into it all and recreate the scene. 1975 was a special time in that it was shortly after the Vietnam War, on the cusp of the disco era (and all that went with that) and about six years or so before the AIDS crisis began. For a short while, it was a bit of an oasis, a maybe lighter time for people. Especially younger people.

I did my share of research, of course, to reconfirm a lot of the places and specifics of the time, but things largely lined up as I’d remembered them. It was especially trippy to write the scenes set in Nicky’s hometown on Long Island and recreate that world from so long ago—so close to where I grew up. It was all like visiting old friends and family. But it’s fiction, so there are inevitably bits of creative license taken, too. 

As for leaping almost 50 years into the future for the current-day scenes, it was interesting to see how and where Boston and the B.U. campus had changed—and where it hadn’t—and I took extra care to get the area’s current geography and trappings right. The whole writing experience was pretty transporting.

OSM: With books being banned across the country, why is it important to continue to tell stories like this? 

Goldstein: It’s so important. This is a book that, in the end, is about having—or at least finding—the freedom and self-confidence to explore your sexuality and live an authentic life. And, at the same time, what might happen if you don’t. Or, as is still the case for many people, can’t. For me, if one young person, or anyone for that matter, who’s grappling with their sexuality or identity reads Please Come to Boston and is inspired to follow their own path, to commit to who they truly are, it will have been worth everything.

Please Come to Boston is currently available for pre-orders online and available for purchase on September 10.